At Bright Pearl Productions, we just love good movies. In fact, we even kinda like ones that aren't so good. We watch hundreds. We thought it would be a good idea to tell you about some of them. Did they work for us? Will you enjoy them as we did?

But, if we are going to review films, its only fair that we establish up front, some criteria as to why we did or didn't like them. We decided to judge the films we saw based on what we know best. Filmmaking.

We believe that we bring a unique perspective to our reviews. The goal in our film reviews is to examine how the craft of film making either enhances or detracts from the art of storytelling.

First, what are our criteria in judging a good film from one that is not so good? As filmmakers, we try to follow this simple rule in what we do and we use it to judge the quality of the work we review:

Do not bore or confuse your audience

Its that simple. The good film is one that immerses the audience in the story. The bad one is where the collective mind of the audience wanders away. All elements of the film making craft should contribute to effectively telling the story and capturing the audience.

What are some elements of filmmaking we look at in our reviews?

Story

Is there an arc to the story? What is the conflict faced by the hero? Does it make sense? Can the audience suspend their disbelief in the events happening before them? Does the tempo of either plot action or character development fit the story that is being told? Do things happen either too fast or too slow leading to confusion or boredom?

Acting

Are these people we can believe or are we just watching actors "act"? Does the actor become the character? Are this person's actions and feelings real and true?

Cinematography

Does the camerawork compliment and enhance the story or is it simply an ode to beautiful pictures and the skill of the cinematographer? We don't want to pay $8.00 for a series of "Kodak Moments." Has the cinematographer made wise choices in film stocks, filters, colors, camera moves and framing? Does the lighting support the story? Is it too harsh, too soft, too contrasty, too flat?

We extend our list to include Production Design, Music, Sound, Special Effects, Stunts, Costume, Editing and any other of the crafts of film making that are brought to bear on the story.

It's possible that some of our terminology is new to you. Through these reviews, we hope to add to your understanding and enjoyment of film. While a good story is a good story, no matter whether you understand how it was made or not, we believe that by knowing about some of the craft, you understand why the film worked or didn't. That makes you a smarter viewer. Then you, instead of some reviewer like us, decide the films you like and why.